Large kitchen and barbecue forks are well known in the art. They are used for manipulating, lifting and turning food and as an adjunct in slicing and cutting meats. They generally consist of a pair of sharp pointed tines, a handle and an intervening shank. While large forks fulfill their common objectives and requirements, they suffer from a number of disadvantages such as injuries from their sharp pointed tines and contamination from dirt and bacteria. With these shortcomings in mind, it is obvious that a need exists to prevent injury and to prevent contamination of large kitchen and barbecue forks.